This invention relates to a processable laminated form. More particularly, this invention relates to a laminated form containing removable labels which can be selectively imaged.
As is known, various types of laminated paper constructions have been employed to provide a user with labels that can be attached to various types of substrates such as documents, pages in a magazine, message boards and the like. Typically, such laminated constructions are made of two plies, one of which is die-cut to form a plurality of labels while the other acts as a carrier sheet to which the die-cut sheet is peelably secured so that the die-cut labels can be removed from the carrier sheet and applied to a substrate.
In order to be applied to a substrate, an adhesive is applied to the back of each label which is of a type to be peeled from the carrier sheet while remaining on the label. Various types of barrier coatings have also been provided on the carrier sheet to allow release of the labels with sufficient adhesive on the backs of the labels to allow the labels to be applied to a substrate.
The labels which are removed from the above type of laminated constructions typically have an adhesive over the entire back surface so that the label can be applied directly to a substrate and, particularly, within the peripheral confines of the substrate. Accordingly, when such labels are applied to different pages of a multi-page document, the labels are hidden from view.
It has also been known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,250 to form a composite web of pressure sensitive labels in which the web has a web of supporting material and a series of two-part labels releasably secured by pressure-sensitive adhesive to the supporting material web. Each two-part label is separated by a line of perforation with one part provided on the underside with adhesive and the other part being free of adhesive. The labels are used for retail purposes so as to be applied to consumer goods so that the part of the label with the adhesive carries a price for the item while the remaining tear off part of the label carries a discounted price for purposes of a sale.
It is an object of the invention to provide a laminated form for supplying a plurality of removable labels each of which can be easily handled and subsequently affixed at one end to a substrate.
It is another object of the invention to provide a processable laminated form which can be selectively imaged to provide labels which can be applied to multi-page documents in an observable manner.
It is another object of the invention to be able to supply a plurality of removable labels on a laminated form which can be selectively imaged in various types of imaging machines.
It is another object of the invention to provide a form which can be used by a retailer for inclusion in a mailing whereby removable labels may be used by the customer as a premium to mark items or to write notes.
It is another object of the invention to provide a mail order company with a form which can be included with a delivery of merchandise to provide a customer with a letter of gratitude and removable labels to tag pages of a mail order catalog for subsequent orders.
It is another object of the invention to provide a laminated form of removable labels which may be printed with variable graphics.
Briefly, the invention provides a processable laminated form comprising two plies, for example of paper, which are laminated together and which are of a suitable size, such as 8xc2xd inches by 11 inches for processing through imaging machines such as laser printers, ink jet printers and the like.
In accordance with the invention, at least one of the two plies has a plurality of die-cut areas therein to define a plurality of removable labels in the ply. In one embodiment, only one ply is die-cut to provide a multiplicity of labels. In another embodiment, both plies are die-cut with each ply providing multiple labels. In addition, in this embodiment, the die-cut areas are offset relative to each other from one ply to the other ply.
Further, in accordance with the invention, an adhesive, such as a moderately tacky pressure sensitive adhesive, is disposed on only a portion of the underside of each label, i.e. the side facing the other ply. For example, only one half of the back side of a label is provided with the adhesive. The adhesive is characterized in being of a type to remain on the label upon removal of the label from the underlying ply whereby the removed label is adherable to a substrate. That is to say, the adhesive remaining on the label is sufficient to permit adhesion of the labels to a substrate. In this respect, each label may be used to flag a page of a catalog or any document, multi-page or otherwise, since the label is free to project beyond the periphery of the page. The projecting portion of the label does not carry any adhesive which might otherwise interfere with use of the label.
In one embodiment, the processable form also includes a barrier layer, for example a silicon barrier layer, between the adhesive containing portion of each label and the opposite ply. This barrier layer ensures that the adhesive on the label remains on the label when the label is removed from the form for a subsequent use.
In another embodiment, a fugitive glue is disposed between the adhesive-free portion of each label and the opposed ply to releasably secure the label to the opposed ply. In this embodiment, the fugitive glue serves to hold the labels within the plane of the ply in which the label is formed during processing, for example, over rollers in an imaging machine which might otherwise bend the labels during imaging process.
As an alternative embodiment, a pressure sensitive glue may be used in place of the fugitive glue to hold the adhesive-free portion of each label to the opposed ply.
The laminated form may also employ a plurality of rupturable tabs (i.e. xe2x80x9cperforationsxe2x80x9d) to secure the periphery of the adhesive-free portion of each label to the remainder of the ply in which the labels reside.
The laminated form may also be constructed so that one ply of the form is of a heavier weight than the other ply. For example, a ply containing the labels may be made of 24 pound weight while a ply not containing labels is made of 20 pound weight.
The laminated form provided by the invention may be processed through imaging machines so that imaging may be placed on the face of one or more of the plies and in particular on the labels.
The laminated form can be processed in various types of imaging equipment, for example a laser printer, so that information may be imaged onto each removable label. Further, information may differ from label to label.
Further, in another embodiment, the removable labels may be disposed in a non-parallel relation to each other so that different images may be presented in a different pattern to the reader. In such cases, software may be provided to allow a selective rotation and/or inverting of fonts to give maximum flexibility of design.
The laminated form may be preprinted or furnished blank to a user so that either a portion or all of the forms can be printed from an imaging process.